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They would then allegedly return later and collect the goods and groceries, which they would allegedly either share or sell in shops run by some of them.
People who steal from shops in that manner are commonly known as omarobane.
Anthony Mhizha (26), of 2150 St Mary’s, Chitungwiza, Musafare Chidembo (37), of 364 Nketa 6, Retumetsi Sidange Moyo (24), of 56394/2 Old Lobengula and Stephen

Osuji (39), of 11 Ullswater Road, Montros, were arrested on Thursday after police received a tip-off from some of the shop operators.
Most shop operators only discovered the theft after the suspects had already left with their loot.
The offences were allegedly committed between August last year and Tuesday last week.

Mhizha is employed at a garage in Kelvin North, Chidembo and Moyo are not employed while Osuji is director of Yellow Rose Supermarket along Lobengula Street where some of the stolen goods were allegedly taken.
The four were arraigned before Bulawayo magistrate, Ms Marylin Mutshina, on Friday facing charges of fraud.

Mhizha is being accused of three counts while the other three accomplices have been implicated in one case each.
Mhizha, Chidembo, Moyo and Osuji were not asked to plead and were remanded in custody to tomorrow. The State wishes to invite witnesses from the shops where they alleged thefts took place.

Allegations against the suspects are that they hatched a plan to defraud shops around Bulawayo and misrepresented to them that they had bought goods in bulk yet they had allegedly forged receipts.
For the State, Mr Dumisani Moyo told the court that on 18 August last year Mhizha and Osuji proceeded to Fortwell Wholesalers at the corner of Herbert Chitepo Street and 12th Avenue where they bought a box of 24 bars of soap and another box with 12 two-litre bottles of cooking oil.

The court heard they allegedly forged the receipts to appear as if they bought 31 boxes of soap each with 24 bars and 24 boxes of two-litre bottles of cooking oil each with 12 bottles.

Mhizha and Osuji allegedly sent a pushcart operator with the receipts to go and collect the goods, which he did and surrendered the loot to them.
In December, Mhizha allegedly connived with Chidembo and went to City Wholesalers along Herbert Chitepo Street where they bought different kinds of beer.
They allegedly forged receipts to appear as if they bought 34×24 of 340ml cans when they had bought three of those, 13x24x340ml Savanna Dry Case of cans when they had bought one box, and 16×24 of 340ml of Castle Lite cans when they had bought three of those.

The court heard that Mhizha is the one who went to collect the goods and the staff at the shop only noticed after he had left.
On Tuesday last week, the court heard, Mhizha and Moyo allegedly went to Food 4 Less Wholesale shop where they bought one tin of fish and a bar of soap.

They allegedly reproduced a receipt purporting they bought 12 tins and six bars. Staff at the shop noticed the anomaly and caused the arrest of Mhizha and Moyo. The two then implicated Chidembo and Osuji leading to their arrest.
The total amount of goods was          $3 700 and goods worth $2 200 were recovered at Osuji’s shop.